With PlayStation VR Worlds releasing on October 13, and the majority of work ending in mid-August, Sony confirmed to Games Industry that there will be layoffs at Sony London Studio.
With Games Industry reporting that “the job losses are understood to be relatively substantial,” Sony says the layoffs are a result of reviews they regularly do throughout their Worldwide Studios. “Regular reviews take place throughout SIE Worldwide Studios, ensuring that the resources that we have in such a competitive landscape deliver on our strategic objectives in the best way possible,” the company said.
Despite the layoffs, Sony says London Studio is already planning for the next VR project:
London Studio have done a great job in leading the way in VR development, and as their first project nears completion it is time to plan for the next VR project. The team will take all their learnings and experience as they move forward, however in order to achieve its ambitious goals, the Studio will need to restructure around the needs of the new projects.
Confirming that “there will be a number of compulsory redundancies within the London Studio,” Sony accepts “that this will mean that we risk losing high calibre staff whose projects have reached completion.” However, where possible, they’ll try to reallocate people to new projects within the company.
“The London Studio has been an important part of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios for over 15 years, and will continue to deliver ground breaking work and innovative titles,” the statement concludes.
[Source: Games Industry, London Studio]
